Everton manager Sam Allardyce admitted Ross Barkley may already have secured a transfer away from Goodison Park, with the midfielder’s contract expiring at the end of the season.

The former Crystal Palace boss took charge of the Toffees for the first time this weekend, earning a 2-0 win over Huddersfield to propel the previously relegation-threatened club into the top half of the Premier League table.

Barkley has yet to feature for Everton this season as he recovers from a hamstring injury and he was agonisingly close to joining Chelsea in the summer.

The 23-year-old pulled out of a £35million deal at the last minute, deciding instead to make a decision on his future in January and Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be ready to battle the Blues for his signature.

Allardyce remains hopeful he will stay at Everton but admitted a deal could already have been fixed and that his departure could be inevitable.

‘I’d like to think we can keep Barkley, unless somebody’s already done a deal for him,’ Allardyce said.

Allardyce is hoping to keep Barkley (Picture: Getty)

‘I am not daft enough to know in this game that those words and phone calls might not have already gone on.

‘If we could get Ross Barkley to stay then nobody would be more delighted than me.

‘Whether that is a possibility I do not know.

‘For me it’s about getting him back in the squad first and seeing where we are from there.’